Total Drama: Tween Throwdown
by BaconBaka
Summary: 24 contestants, each from a different background, hit up the Production Lot for a chance to win a million dollars! There is one catch, though... The contestants are tweens! Can these youngsters handle the stress that is Total Drama? Can they deal with their troubles? And what exactly are Plushens, anyway?


The Total Drama series belongs to Cartoon Network and Teletoon. Everything I also mention that's copyrighted to any public property belongs to their respective copyrights. However, all of the contestants that shows up here belongs to me. Please support the official release.

You may be wondering… This, again? Well, I didn't get too far last time. That, and I wanted to swap out a couple of characters by making one into a proper contestant, as well as change up their appearance. Other than that, I hope you enjoy what I've got in store!

Outside a very familiar looking movie lot, a certain host around his late 30's was giving off a huge grin at the camera. The male's name? Chris McLean, host of the popular show, Total Drama. And with him being back as a host, that could only mean one thing…

"Yo! Remember me?" Chris announced out loud. "You could never forget such a face as myself! In either case, welcome to the newest, and bestest season of Total Drama… Yet! After we took a bit of a break involving a season of a series with a ripoff of myself, yours truly is back in the hosting seat!"

He continued to grin at the camera as he began to walk around the lot.

"Or course, for all of you Total Drama crazies watching, if you remember the last time we were here on our Production Lot, we were on Total Drama Action. Or as some fans gave it the nickname of 'The Duncan Show'. Featuring Duncan! ...And some no-names. At the end? Someone won. You can take a wild guess who. We then kinda hit a blue period for a while after that… But enough dwelling in the past; we've got a whole new cast of contestants that you're all gonna love and adore in a few minutes. Although there's a bit of a catch this season..."

Chris soon stopped near an easel, featuring some charts and graphs.

"Over the years, our main demographic have been tweens watching. And this time, we thought it would be pretty wild to have THEM battle it out this season. Yep, this season? It's all about the tweens! We were gonna do some silly alphabet gimmick with them, but who tunes in to educational programming? Aside of soccer moms and helicopter parents?"

Chris gave off one last grin, winking at the camera.

"You already know it's gonna be one insane season, so… Let's let the spills, chills, and the toy ships set sail, right here, right now! On..."

"Total!"

"Drama!"

"Tween Throwdown!"

* * *

Cue the short version of the intro '_I Wanna Be Famous_'

* * *

Now back from the intro, Chris was now standing outside the entrance to the Production Lot, still flashing his trademark grin.

"And welcome back! Miss me? Oh course you did. Now, in just a few short moments, the first of our contestants shall arrive." Chris said out loud. "It could be anyone..."

And sure enough, about a few seconds later, a bus stopped. The bus had most of its doors and windows blackened, to prevent anyone inside from looking out. The bus soon opened its doors, and a passenger stepped off of the bus. They dropped a bag containing their belongings, and tossed a football at the host, which the host caught.

"Annnnnnnddddd WE! GOT! TOUCHDOWN! WOOOOOOOOOOO!" The contestant cheered out loud, doing a mock crowd cheering noise as well.

They were a female with a tan skintone, wearing a blue and yellow striped football helmet over their dyed blue hair. She was also wearing what appeared to be a yellow football jersey with the number 68 stamped on the front, blue track pants, blue wristbands, and even had on a pair of pink boots. Her hair was in a pair of braided pigtails.

"Heidi! Welcome!" Chris greeted the contestant, as he tossed the football back towards Heidi.

"I am PSYCHED to be here, Chris!" Heidi replied back. "Going out in the field of battle with fellow kids your age... Heck to the yeah!"

"How's life treating you between waiting for the latest football season?"

Heidi groaned. "Ugh, don't remind me… That seven month stretch between seasons is pure TORTURE. And don't get me started on... That year."

She soon sported a grin again.

"So, guess I'm the first one outta the locker room?" Heidi asked, noticing she was the only one here at the moment.

"Right. Now, stand over there at the mat, while we await for everyone else." Chris instructed.

Heidi nodded, as she grabbed up her belongings, and walked over to the mat, tossing her football into the air, and catching it as well.

"Moving on… Hope she melts your heart, and not your hands… Because we've got Coco!" Chris announced.

The next departing passenger sped out of the bus in almost a purple, green and brown blur, before stopping in front of the host, sporting a wide grin and holding a chocolate bar.

"Hey, you GUYS!" Coco is here to kick butt, take names, and chomp on chocolate!" Coco announced out loud.

Coco had raven-black hair in a bowl-cut, with pink highlights in her hair as well. She was also sporting a purple t-shirt with a smiling heart on the front, and green pants, and was completely barefoot. But what truly set her off from both Chris and Heidi was that she was sporting some peach-colored spots on her mocha colored skin. Coco finished off her chocolate bar, and grinned at everybody.

"Buuuuuuutttt, being I'm still a stranger around here, and I'm a bit too early-ish, I really can't do that second bit." Coco said out loud. "At least, not yet."

"Give it time, Coco." Chris replied back. "We're still a bit early."

"Hey, being a bit early never stopped anyone; especially around Halloween." Coco said, spinning a bit before sporting a grin. "Gotta scope out all the hottest houses around and score some of the best chocolate around!"

Coco soon went over to Heidi, as the Football Fan stared at her.

"Um… No offense and all, but your skin seems like it's melting off." said Heidi, observing Coco. "You feeling alright, bud?"

Coco shrugged back, giving off a smirk. "Eh, it's just Vitligo, no big whoop. It's just what I am, really. Besides, after what the King of Pop went through, even after his untimely death, and... Well, his exposure... We need some more positive Vitligo rep around."

"I never even knew such a thing existed." Heidi said, before smiling, and extending her hand. "Anyways, nice to meet ya!"

"Right back at ya!" Coco replied back, accepting Heidi's handshake. "So, being how you're dressed, I guess you're a fan of football?"

"You betchya! Heck, I would go the whole nine yards and actually attend games as well with dad!" Heidi answered back. "And I usually go all out, complete with snacks and face paint perfectly donned on my… Well, face!"

She soon looked down at Coco's legs, and noticed that the Vitligo girl wasn't wearing any shoes.

"By the way, where's your kicks?" Heidi asked.

Coco shrugged as she wiggled her toes a bit. "Eh, lost them back on Route 66. But whatta gonna do? Who even needs those tight annoyances, anyway, amiright?"

Back with the host, he grinned at the camera.

"Hope you're ready for a sweet song from a sweetie, cause here comes Indigo!" Chris announced, as the next passenger stepped off the bus, sporting a sweet smile.

Indigo was a female with short, brown hair. She was wearing a yellow t-shirt, a light blue skirt, and purple shoes with white socks. She even had on a pair of heart-framed sunglasses atop her head.

"Hiiiiii~!" Indigo sung out loud. "The name's Indigo, and I'm a future pop-star in the making!"

"Indigo! Welcome to Tween Throwdown!" Chris announced to the newcomer.

"I'm super psyched to be here!" Indigo replied back. "I'm ready to lend my song to anyone and everyone! Once they're around, I suppose."

"But, think you can take on 23 contestants, some of which may become your friends or even your enemies?" asked Chris.

"You betchya!" Indigo squeaked out, as she held her hands to her mouth. "...Sorry, voice crack."

Indigo approached the two contestants, smiling at the two.

"Hey, guys!" Indigo greeted herself to the two.

"Hey, dudette. Name's Heidi, and the girl with the melting skin over there is Coco." Heidi greeted herself.

"Melting? Well, I do have some cream which can-" Indigo said, as Coco cleared her throat.

"Eh, I'm good. My skin ain't melting; It's just my Vitligo. No big deal, really." Coco answered back, looking at Indigo. "Sooooo, I guess you're into music, huh? And of the pop variety?"

"You betchya!" Indigo answered back, sporting a warm smile. "You know, like Beyonce… And all that other stuff. So, how about you guys? What kinda tunes do you like?"

"Something fast-paced and energetic!" Coco answered back. "That gets me into the baking spirit! ...If I don't eat up the chocolates first."

"And I like something that pumps me up for watching the game of the week!" Heidi also answered, sporting a grin.

Indigo stood with the girls, as she looked around.

"Isn't it me, or has it just been us girls arriving here so far?" Indigo asked.

"Yeah! Where are the dudes?" Heidi questioned the host. "Like, I don't mind the chicks, but just give us a dude!"

Chris gave off a smirk towards the three girls.

"Departing next from the bus… Make way for Ivan!" Chris announced, as the next passenger departed off the bus...

"Movie Lot!"

"Now arriving at Movie Lot!"

"Welcome to Movie Lot!"

"Watch your step, eek EEK!"

"Thanks for doing this!" Ivan replied back to the bus driver. "Even though the bus was parked already."

Ivan was decked out with a green, wool-cloth Viking helmet with gray, soft horns, and a leaf design with a bite on the side stamped on the front, atop his brunet hair. Said leaf was the Animal Crossing leaf logo from the actual games. He was also wearing a blue t-shirt with the same leaf symbol on the front, and a pair of gray shorts. And like Coco, he appeared to not be wearing any shoes at all.

Currently, Ivan looked at the three girls, and gave off a grin.

"Cool, welcoming committee!" Ivan said out loud. "Almost like New Leaf!"

"Ivan! Welcome to the Movie Lot!" Chris greeted the newest contestant. "How's life treating you in your awesome island of Fructose?"

"Very awesome, indeed!" Ivan answered back, giving off a grin. "Currently planning out my town, cause what if they have some cafe in the future?"

He soon approached his fellow contestants, who looked at the male.

"Animal Crossing? That game where you move into a town and talk to furries and stuff?" Coco asked out loud, grinning.

"You betchya!" Ivan answered back. "Though it's more than just talking to your furry neighbors. You can fish, bug hunt, dig up fossils..."

"Awesome!" Coco grinned back. "I would had bought my Switch, but left it at home for my little sis to play while I was about on here."

"That's a lotta use of the word 'awesome' you guys..." Heidi pointed out.

"Furries? Like those dudes who wear outfits modeled after animals? Which resemble mascot outfits?" asked Heidi as she looked at Ivan. "Cause I heard some pretty bad stories about them."

Ivan nodded. "Right on the dot. And you needn't worry about furries; the media always focuses on the negative side of them; the ones I chatted to online are mostly chill."

Back with Chris, he sported a grin.

"Our next contestant is richer than all of these four put together, give it all up for Peki! The daughter of Duck Industries!" Chris announced, as the next contestant departed off the bus rather elegantly.

Peki was a female, and had long, brunette hair going down to her shoulders. She was wearing a green shirt, a purple skirt with what appeared to be diamond designs embedded onto the ends, pink shoes with diamonds also embedded onto it, some purple socks with a gold stripe on the ends, and even had on a pair of gold bracelets, an expensive necklace with a crystal hanging as a charm, and a pair of Master Ball earrings hanging from her ears. She even appeared to have some make-up on.

"Peki! Welcome!" Chris greeted the newcomer. "How's life treating you?"

"Well, for my first outing riding a bus by myself, it was rather unexciting; I couldn't even see outside the window, or outside at all. At least until the door opened." Peki admitted. "Then I could see anything and everything."

Chris scratched his head. "Yeeeeaaahhh, we had to do so to keep you all from greeting everyone before you all departed the bus; gotta keep everyone surprised." He said, as he looked at the rich girl. "Now, you sure that you, the daughter of Duck Industries, will be okay?" Chris asked Peki.

Peki nodded. "Certainly. I been through rougher stuff before; I'll be fine."

"Now, why don't you greet your new castmates?" Chris instructed.

Peki nodded, as she made her way to her fellow contestants.

Coco could only groan at the approaching Peki. "Oh, joy… Guys? Prepare to be ridiculed and called pheasants."

"She's WAAAAAYY too girly for my tastes." Heidi agreed.

"To be honest, I'm kinda jelly about her attire." Indigo admitted.

"And she is kinda cute..." Ivan also admitted out loud, sporting a gentle smile.

"Hey, girls! And one guy." Peki greeted herself, as Indigo looked at her with awe. "I'm Pekilina Duck, also known as Peki! And don't worry; aside of being rich enough for my folks to buy you out, I'm really chill. Honest!"

"Soooo, you won't attempt to buy us out and force us onto the streets?" Coco asked. "Like how many a rich snob in any children's cartoon would love to do to the main hero or heroine?"

Peki shook her head. "Naaaaaahhh. We ain't ALL like that. Blame media; they always portray us people with silver tongues as snooty, entitled know-it-alls who loves to put people down."

"I LOVE YOUR EARRINGS!" Indigo blurted out really loud and squeaky like, causing Coco to wince in pain, as she quickly regained herself. "Oh… Sorry. That just came out just now."

"It's cool... Remind us next time you're gonna fangirl..." Coco suggested to Indigo.

Peki giggled. "Eh, you're good. And thanks! Had them custom made."

She tapped on one of them, having it swing a bit.

"Want me to score you a pair?" Peki offered.

Indigo pouted as she crossed her arms. "Can't. Besides, my ears aren't pierced… Well, not yet, anyway."

Peki smiled warmly. "They'll get there eventually. Keep your chin up, girl!"

Indigo smiled at Peki, as the rich girl approached Ivan.

"So, judging by your attire, you're a fellow mayor turned island rep, huh?" asked Peki.

Ivan grinned back. "You betchya! What Town Ordinance did you go for in New Leaf?"

"I go for a Rich Town. I truly decorated my town wonderfully, so my neighbors can have a really pleasant time while living there." answered Peki with a warm smile. "You must really be into Animal Crossing, huh?"

"You bet I am! Been a fan since I could walk. Got all the plushies, all the games, even imported the Japanese only titles… I even got Happy Home Designer and Amiibo Festival, as well!" Ivan answered back, as he gave off a slight frown. "I… don't play that last one that often."

"Quite understandable." Peki agreed.

Coco gave off a smile towards Heidi.

"You know, I think we were really wrong about Peki. She's quite pleasant so far." Heidi said out loud.

"Yeah, but… Still keeping an eye on her." Coco replied back.

"Time to put the spark in your step, cause here comes Piapot!" Chris announced, as the next passenger departed from the bus.

They were a female, sporting some dyed electric blue hair, which was currently in a ponytail, which was shaped like a lightning bolt. Clothing-wise, she was donning a black t-shirt with a smiling lightning bolt stamped on the front, with the bottom cut off. It was over what appeared to be a purple and blue striped tank top. She was also wearing a pair of pink sweatpants, light blue sandals and a pair of red and blue wristbands around her wrists. She was even wearing a pair of light blue framed glasses in front of her eyes as well. But what truly made her unique from the others was what appeared to be some markings applied onto both her cheeks. That of a red and blue circle, with the red possessing a plus sign on her right cheek, and the blue possessing a minus sign on her left cheek, almost giving off the look of a humanoid Pikaclone of sorts.

"Whoooaaa! This is… THE Total Drama?" Piapot asked in glee.

"You betchya!" Chris answered back. "Whatta think this was? Some Total Drama Daycare?"

"Well, considering I could pass off as some sorta mascot for a Japanese battery company… You would figure I be bought to an actual daycare, or some kindergarten class to teach everyone about the wonders of electricity." Piapot giggled back.

"And… You aren't worried about your-" Chris continued, as Piapot held up her hand.

"Naaaahhh..." Piapot answered back with a smile. "Kinda scary at first, but then again, I was four at the time. And I'm sure Mrs. Poi healed by now. I didn't even think you could get detention in pre-school for an accident such as that."

"In either case, meet your fellow contestants." Chris instructed, as she approached them. They looked at the unique-looking girl.

"So, did you self-paint your face?" Heidi asked Piapot. "Cause if you did… Nice job with the positive and negative markings."

"Well, about that..." Piapot trailed off, as an excuse to not talk about her markings. "Ummmm… I dig your hair?"

"Right on!" Heidi answered back, grinning as she swung around one of her pigtails. "Blue hair frickin' ROCKS!"

Peki looked at Piapot and gave off a smile.

"So, Piapot… Is it? You seem to be a big fan of electricity, right down to your attire and you painting your face to be like a Plusle and Minun from Pokemon."

"You betchya! Just the pure thought of electricity and its power just sends shivers down my spine!" Piapot winked back, giving off a grin in the process. "Why, just watching a thunderstorm makes me excited!"

On her cheeks, what appeared to be electric bolts rubbed against her cheeks, as she realized, and quickly regained her composure. Everyone looked surprised at what Piapot done.

"...You didn't see that." Piapot reminded the group.

"Alrighty, but it'll be kinda hard to forget that." Indigo said.

"Up next? Our next contestant, who is NOT a Crystal Gem! ...As far as we know. Here's Jasper!" Chris announced, as the next contestant bolted from the bus, almost in fear.

They were a male, with brown brunet hair, and a bright green dyed fringe. Clothing-wise, he was wearing a purple t-shirt with an orange design on the front, a pair of blue shorts with a white vertical stripe on the sides, and red sandals. He looked really frightened.

"Man, I am **_SO_** glad to be outta that tight spot!" Jasper said out loud in a panic. "Whose idea was _that_ anyway?!"

Chris shrugged. "Hey, I only know the contestant's names and their genders. I didn't even knew those tight spots could… Well, trigger you."

"EEP! You don't wanna say that word willy-nilly!" Jasper reminded back. "It's kinda gotten a bad rep as of recent. You WANT to be cancelled?"

"Eh, happened to me already." Chris responded back, without a care.

He looked at his fellow contestants, in which Indigo waved back.

"So, are these my contestants?" Jasper asked, looking unsured.

"You betchya! Why not go over there and say hi?" Chris instructed.

Jasper nodded, as he gathered up his belongings and approached his fellow contestants.

"Yeah, we apologize for you being stuffed in such a tiny space." Heidi said out loud. "Same thing happened to all of us."

"Don't be sorry; ain't your fault." Jasper replied back, as he looked Heidi over. "You aren't gonna stuff me in a trash can, aren't ya?"

Heidi shook her head. "Buddy, I dunno what's swimming in your thoughts currently, but I would never do that. Whatta think I am, just some sorta stereotypical jock? All I do between seasons of football is mess around with Sim games."

He observed everyone else, and gave off a sigh.

"The girl in the football gear is the most normal looking one so far..." Jasper muttering.

"Eh, being normal is totally overrated these days." Coco shrugged, as she reached into her bag, and pulled out a Snickers bar, offering it to Jasper. "Want one?"

Jasper nodded, as he accepted the bar and chowed down on it.

"I wouldn't call myself normal~!" Indigo sung out. "Perhaps… Normal-Ish? But not normal~!"

"It's time to suit up, cause here comes Danielle!" Chris announced, as the next contestant departed from the bus…

In almost an instant, the contestants all stared at her. She was different than all of them put together so far. She was donning what appeared to be a mascot outfit, almost like the ones you see around theme parks and sporting events. The outfit itself appeared to be a blue-furred cat, sporting some pink hair atop its hair. The outfit was also wearing a yellow t-shirt, and a pair of red pants. There was also some sewing scars around the body as well.

"Um..." Danielle said nervously out loud, as she noticed everyone looking at her. "I'm Danielle, and I'm hoping we can get along really well..."

"Danielle! Dani!" Chris greeted the girl. "You absolutely sure you wanna compete in your outfit?"

"I am certain." Danielle answered back, as she made her way towards her fellow contestants, who kept on looking at her.

"I give you props for competing on such a show dressed the way you are, but..." Coco said out loud. "You'll roast in there! Or even melt! And possibly roast-melt! And nobody wants that!"

Danielle gave off a nod. "While that is true, I've got a tiny air conditioner installed inside, which'll keep my body cool during the hottest times of the day."

"Tiny air conditioner?" Heidi asked, raising an eyebrow. "You got some kinda heat and sun allergy which requires such a suit like that?"

Danielle shook her head. "No. I'm perfectly healthy, so don't worry about that."

Jasper blinked over at Danielle. "You're more used to confined spaces than I am..."

"Question!" Indigo butted in. "Aren't you an animatronic?"

Danielle could only stand there.

"So many questions… Should I quit?" Danielle thought, as she shook those thought out of her mind. "No… I promised her that I would attend..."

But someone approached her, and placed a gentle hand around her own gloved hand.

"Danielle… You gonna be okay?" Ivan asked, gently and without any fear coming from him.

Danielle looked at Ivan, and let out a gentle smile beneath her mask.

"Yeah… It's that, this is my first time I truly exposed myself like this, especially to other peers my age." Danielle admitted. "And with a group such as this..."

"If it helps, everyone here so far seems to be really chill." Ivan reassured back, sporting a warm smile.

"You really think so?" Danielle asked.

"I know so! Heck, I came here before you did, and I'm already acquainted with a few of them." Ivan answered back genuinely.

"Thanks..."

"Oh, it's Ivan! And these girls and one guy are Heidi, Coco, Indigo, Piapot, Peki, and Jasper." Ivan said, sporting a smile. "Quite the colorful bunch, am I right?"

Danielle looked at Ivan, and noticed something in Ivan's pocket.

"Also… don't mind me asking this, but… Is that a 3DS in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" asked Danielle.

Ivan grinned as he held up his 3DS, with a decal of Isabelle on it. "You betchya!"

"Cool..." Danielle replied back, as she breathed nervously. "Later on… Wanna trade FC's?"

Ivan nodded back. "Certainly! I also have a Switch Mini on me..."

Danielle could only grin behind her mask.

"Time for contestant number… What number are we on? Eh, forget it. It's time to meet Natalie!" Chris announced, as a female stepped off the bus, looking all nervous and defeated like.

She had a mixed skintone, and was wearing a cap of the Pokemon Hopip atop her dyed bright purple hair. She even had on a pair of blue-framed glasses, a blue t-shirt with an arrow pointing up, reading 'Geek' on the front pink pants with tears at the kneeline, blue and orange sandals, and was even wearing a pair of blue and pink wristbands as well. She could only sigh, as she approached the host.

"...Why am I even here?" Natalie asked out loud.

"Natalie!" Chris greeted the newcomer loudly, spooking the contestant a bit. "How's it hanging?"

"Chris? It's not Natalie… It's Natz." Nata… Natz replied back. "But I'll forgive you for that. As for how's it hanging?"

She let out a sigh.

"You can take a wild guess..."

"Oh… So..." Chris continued, trying desperately to change the subject. "Caught any new Pokemon lately? Like a Hidden Ability Sobbl-"

"Can I just greet my contestants already?" Natz asked.

"Alright." Chris nodded, as Natz made her way to the other kids. They all looked at Natz, and were instantly concerned.

"Natz? What's wrong?" Indigo asked.

"Nothing, forget it." Natz answered back, as she looked over at Danielle, who was currently trading friend codes with Ivan. "But what's up with you? You're in a mascot outfit. You aren't exactly… Smart to do so."

"Yeah, I meant to ask; are you an actual animatronic, Dani?" Indigo asked.

Danielle said nothing, as she handed her 3DS to Ivan, and pulled off her left glove, exposing a human hand.

"Cool! Almost like an IRL Terminator! Except not really!" Coco exclaimed. "This is so wicked!"

Jasper looked at Natz with a slight smile. "I… like your hat."

Natz shrugged. "Eh, fam got it for me. Like I wanted it anyway..."

"And your hair is also awesome." Jasper continued, as he brushed his fringe aside. "Sis done my fringe; who did yours?"

"Look, can we drop the subject about my family?" Natz requested, feeling annoyed. "It's kinda a touchy subject for me at the moment."

Jasper nodded. "Sorry..."

Indigo held out her hand. "I'm Indigo!" She greeted, as Natz only stared at her. Indigo lowered her hand. "Not much for a hand shake, huh?"

"You're very observant..." Natz snarked back.

"Eh, I get that from time to time." Indigo responded back, shrugging.

"Wiley, come on down!" Chris announced. "You're the next contestant on Tween Throwdown!"

In almost an instant, the contestant departed from the bus, sporting a wide smile. They were a male, donning some crimson red hair, as well as some freckles upon his face. His attire consisted of a red t-shirt with a bright yellow dollar sign on the front, blue scrubs, and what appeared to be a pair of pink sneakers.

"Heck yeah!" Wiley shouted out loud. "I'm ready to win some BIG BUCKS, and here's hoping I don't Whammy outta this contest!"

After soon giving a high five to the host, he soon approached his soon to be fellow contestants.

"Errr… Can you repeat that in English?" Danielle requested.

"Duh; that's game show talk for I'm gonna win big, and hopefully not be eliminated!" Wiley answered back.

"A game show? Like those which stay-at-home moms and sick kids who's home from school usually watch?" Coco asked.

"Ohhhh, not just them; I know of a buncha other people who adore game shows as well!" Wiley answered back. "Including yours truly."

"So, enlighten us; what's your fave game show, smartiepants?" Heidi asked.

Wiley chuckled a bit. "That is kinda a huge toughie to nail down… So I'm just gonna say all of them. Well, except for Pyramid 2002."

Indigo looked down at Wiley's feet.

"Wiley? What's with the pink shoes? ...Did you lose a bet, I guess?" Indigo asked.

Wiley sighed. "Blame a group of bullies. They swiped my shoes a day before I was supposed to arrive here. Soooooo, I had to resort to borrowing my sis' cold climate kicks."

"Dang..." Indigo muttered. "Bullies are such scum."

"I can agree to that." Heidi nodded back towards Indigo.

"Everything is awesome now, cause Latif is next to arrive!" Chris announced as the next contestant departed from the bus. He was sporting a wide grin.

Latif was outfitted with a cap resembling the Pokemon Pyukumuku atop his head, with raven-black hair growing from his head as well. He was also sporting a light blue t-shirt with a smiling hammer on the front, a pair of faded blue jeans, and a pair of blue and red sandals.

"Isn't this Total Drama?" Latif asked the host.

"You betchya, little dude!" Chris answered back.

Latif looked over at the host.

"Is it true you're on several watch-lists for various crimes?" Latif asked, to which Chris started to sweat nervously.

"Annnnnndddd here's your cast. Why not accuse them about their dirty laundry?" Chris suggested, as he pointed Latif the way to his fellow contestants.

Latif was now staring at them, and gave off a smile. "Hi!"

"Dude, tell me more about those watch-lists Chris is on!" Heidi smirked back.

Latif shook his head. "Naaaaaahhhh… Besides, that may probably get him thrown back in prison again even before the game actually begins. And then the show is canceled, and replaced by some kinda reboot of... _Pirates Of Dark Water_, I guess. Only it's a comedy, everyone is super deformed, and the main sings about pancakes that fart or something."

"You couldn't be farther from the truth." Natz agreed back, as she pushed in her glasses.

Piapot glanced over towards Latif, and gave off a smile.

"Hey, aren't you that kid who reviews LEGO playsets?" asked Piapot. "Or, at least the small ones?"

"You betchya!" Latif answered back, giving off a smile.

"But, LEGO can get so expensive..." Indigo said out loud.

"Why do you think I stick to the small playsets?" Latif responded back. "I want to show off the stuff which kids our age can buy on our budgets."

"Unless you're Peki?" Ivan pointed out, as he looked over at Peki.

"Um, I never even played with LEGO, to be honest." Peki answered back.

"Besides, they gotta be heck on your wallet..." Indigo spoke up.

"Eh, my fam's real well off." Latif replied back. "I can afford them from time to time."

He soon adjusted his hat, with a smile.

"But that ain't my true passion, oh nope." Latif continued, as he smiled at everyone present. "Anyways, here's hoping we get along, guys!"

He soon stood next to Piapot to which she smiled towards him. Latif also sported a sweet smile.

"Man, you had to go through a lotta pain to get tattoos done on your cheeks." Latif said. "And at our age, too… You had to do a lotta convincing and begging to your folks to get all that done."

Piapot giggled back. "Umm, the truth is… These aren't tattoos~!"

"Are you ready to have your fashion criticized? No? Well, too bad, cause here comes Bitty!" Chris announced out loud, as the next passenger departed from the bus.

She had blonde, long shoulder length hair, and was wearing a blue open jean shirt over a pink t-shirt, a dark purple skirt being held on with a black belt, knee length pink socks, a pair of purple boots, and even had on a pair of large, green hoop earrings. She was finishing up applying some blush onto her cheeks, as she looked at the host.

"Greetings, McLean." Bitty greeted herself. "Still sporting the 2007 look, I see?"

"Hey, my kind of fashion shall never die!" Chris answered back, sporting a grin.

"Very well, then." Bitty nodded, as she approached the campers, and observed the group of kids.

She stopped in front of Heidi, as she gave her a look over. Heidi gave off a confused look.

"You about done?" asked Heidi.

"Just about. Can't rush these things, you know." Bitty responded back, as she took a few steps back. She soon gave off a look towards her. "While I do appreciate the mix of yellows and blues, you should ditch those pink boots, and go for something more yellow.

"Eh, blame my dad. He's still trying how to laundry. These USED to be yellow, but somehow they kinda turned pink." Heidi admitted.

"Also, if you're going the football fan route, I suggest covering your face with a mix of yellow and blue paints, with a white line down the middle, Braveheart style." Bitty suggested. "Do that, and you'll really be cheering for your team in style."

Bitty left Heidi, as she gave off a smirk.

"She knows my style already..." Heidi said to herself. "Touchdown..."

She observed Coco next, looking all over her. Once she was done, she stared at the chocoholic.

"Your duds do match your speedy personality. But… Your skin, mate. May I suggest flesh colored make-up?" said Bitty.

Coco looked at Bitty. "Umm... It's Vitligo. And I rather not. This is what makes me unique!"

Bitty stared at Coco. "Vitligo? That thing that Michael Jackson had? He... Honestly creeps me out..."

Coco nodded at Bitty. "Yeah, my mom was super-upset when the truth about him came out..."

"Anyways, try out my advice, alright?" Bitty said, as she moved on to the next person.

She went over to Indigo, but before she could observe her...

"Your wardrobe is really awesome!" Indigo bluttered out. "Your jean jacket over your shirt, the colors, your accessories… Again, it's really awesome!"

Bitty gave off a smirk. "Heh, thanks."

She soon observed Indigo, and nodded.

"However, your wardrobe is kinda drab. No offense. You're kinda at a blank slate." Bitty said to Indigo as Indigo frowned. "However, I think I can improve on your looks. And in more ways than one."

"You really think so?" Indigo asked, looking hopeful.

"Think so?" Bitty replied back, as she let out a smile. "I know so."

"It's his mission to commission, cause our resident artist Haruto is here!" Chris announced, as the next contestant departed from the bus.

They were a male, with black hair nearly styled like an artist's beret. The ends of the hair was also streaked a bright green. He was also wearing a black t-shirt with a skull sporting a blue beret stamped on the front, a pair of black ripped jeans which were stained with various paints, and also a pair of black sandals. He was also wearing a blue headband around his forehead, a pair of black spiked wristbands, and a necklace with a 1-Up Mushroom charm hanging on it. He even had three streaks of paint across his cheeks as well, and one long one going down the bridge of his nose as well.

"Hey, guys!" Haruto greeted out loud. "Are you ready for an Art Attack?!"

"Um, isn't that a show from when I was growing up?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, probs. Other than that, I came to win!" Haruto announced to the contestants, as he approached them.

"So, what's with the threads?" Heidi asked. "You trying to be Duncan 2.0?"

Haruto shook his head. "Naaaaaahhh, I'm just wanting to follow in my older sis' footsteps, that's all." He answered back. "Any of you familiar with ScoreKorpse?"

Ivan raised his hand. "I'm familiar with her; I watched her New Horizons playthroughs when the game first came out. She's quite a crafted builder!"

"Well, I'm her little brother! You know that banner on her page? As thus her Offline page with her Toonsona taking a snooze? All my doing." Haruto answered back. "I also done some commissions as well, be it for my parent's clients, to… Well, skinwork done via an ink-soaked needle."

He soon noticed Peki, and gave off a smile.

"Peki!" Haruto greeted.

"Haruto! Hey!" Peki replied back, as the two gave off a high five.

"Never thought I see you here!" Haruto said, giving off a smile.

"Eh, things can get boring back at home. Besides, the wait time between major game releases is brutal." Peki groaned a bit before smiling again. "So, got any projects in store?"

"Funny you should ask..." Haruto answered back, as he opened a sketchpad, and showed off what appeared to be a cartoonish snake, wrapping itself around a cartoonish skull. "Drew this little thing while waiting to be released from my cage."

Peki gave off a smile at his artwork. "Awesome as always."

Ivan looked at the two. "You two know each other?"

"Yeppers! We often get together when our company have get-togethers." Haruto answered back. "Aren't we tied at Smash Ultimate victories?"

"Oh, my W streak shall increase soon enough." Peki smirked back.

"Ooooohhh..." Ivan replied back. "I gotchya."

"Next up, it's the Observant born and raised from someplace either far from Osaka or not, I dunno Japanese Geography, here's Azura!" Chris announced, as the next passenger departed from the bus.

She was of an Asian descent, sporting some raven black hair, twirled and twisted up in a braid going down her shoulders. She was also sporting a pair of red framed glasses, a collared light green shirt over a blue sweater, white socks, and a pair of black mary janes.

"McLean, I presume." Azura said to the host. "Nice of me to come; your awesomeness is over its gap. Nice work."

"You bet it is!" Chris replied back, giving off a grin.

"Now… To analyze everyone in this current gathering." Azura said, as she walked over to everybody.

"Um, do you know her?" Latif asked, looking at Haruto. "You two have Asian sounding names, so maybe..."

"Nope, 'fraid not my dude." Haruto answered back, as he shook his head. "In fact, this is the first time I even met her."

"She's talking all sorts of weird talk." Latif said, feeling outright confused. "And looking at Danielle the same way that Bitty done with everyone."

"Kiddo, I'm only wanting to improve everyone's fashion." Bitty spoke up from behind Latif and Haruto, spooking them a bit. "Speaking of which..."

With Azura, she was finishing up observing Danielle. Once done, she took a step back.

"You seem to be hiding something..." Azura concluded. "Why not join up with me? With your general appearance, we can crush everyone?"

Danielle nodded. "I'll… Think about it."

Azura smiled. "Good… I know you'll make the… right choice."

She soon started to walk away, as Ivan approached Danielle.

"Geez… That was nerve wracking." Danielle admitted, sighing.

"Tell me about it; she somehow noticed my skills in entomology. How she noticed the leftover scent of a ladybug on my clothes is beyond me." Ivan replied back. "Anyways, you thinking of taking that deal?"

"I dunno… I mean, she never even gave off any advantages." Danielle answered back. "That, and I rather know a person before I decide to team up with them."

"You and me both." Ivan agreed.

"I don't have anything creative to say about her, so… Here comes Quant!" Chris announced, as the next passenger departed off the bus nervously and looked at their fellow contestants.

Quant was a female, with some uncombed blonde hair reaching to her shoulders, a simple striped purple and black t-shirt, beige pants and a pair of gray, slip-on sneakers which looked like they could fall apart at any minute.

She soon silently approached her fellow contestants, as Chris looked at the newcomer.

"What? No words?" Chris asked. "Alright then..."

Quant first stopped in front of Natz, and starred at her.

"...Is that a Pokemon?" Quant asked, as she looked up at her hat.

"Um… Yeah? What of it?" Natz answered back, feeling annoyed.

"Well, it's... Um..." Quant began to say, as she held herself back. "...Sorry… Forget I said anything..."

She soon departed from Natz, and soon stared at Coco, who was finishing up her chocolate bar.

"You seem tense. Need a Snickers? Got plenty of 'em!" Coco offered, as she dug into a bag full of chocolate goodies.

Quant shook her head. "...No thanks. Chocolate makes you fat..."

Coco's eyes went wide with shock. "What, no it doesn't! At least, not in small amounts!"

She reached into her bag and pulled out said Snickers bar.

"...I rather not risk it..." Quant denied back, shaking her head. "...Sorry..."

She soon walked over to the next contestant, as Coco only looked back at Quant.

"Yeesh, open up, why don't 'cha?" Coco asked out loud. "Like, dye your hair a bright blue!"

Soon, she was observing Piapot closely. Once she was done, she stared at Piapot.

"...What's with the hair?" Quant asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I wanted to update my 'do, soooooo... I bought some hair bleach-" Piapot began to say, as Quant looked at her ponytail.

"No, not that… I meant the shape of your ponytail." Quant interrupted back, pointing at Piapot's lighting bolt shaped ponytail.

"Oooooohh, that… Well, I'm a huge fan of electricity, and I wanted to-" Piapot began to say, as the color from Quant's face drained.

"_No..._" Quant squeaked out in fear. "_I thought I escaped from all of that..._"

"Hm? Escaped from what?" Piapot asked, feeling concerned. "You feeling okay, pal?"

Soon, Quant shook her head, as she turned away from Piapot.

"Look… Just… Stay away from me, alright?" Quant requested, as she backed away in fear.

Piapot only stared at the frightened Quant, as Latif walked up to Piapot.

"Wow, 0 and 2 from the blonde girls." Latif said out loud. "The heck even happened then?"

"Even I don't know." Piapot answered back. "Like… She just took one look at my lightning bolt hairstyle, and suddenly felt fear. And she said that she 'escaped from all of that'… Whatever all of that means..."

"...You think we should get to the bottom of this?" Latif asked, as the two glanced over at Quant, who was looking away from the two. "Cause nobody would escape from somewhere without reason. Let alone escape from anywhere."

"Yeah… But I can't do it; she's too frightened of me." Piapot answered back. "We need someone who can truly connect with her… And along the way, help her open up and be her true self..."

"Stepping onto stage next… It's-" Chris started to announce, as a female lept out of the bus' doors, and posed with two rock symbols.

She was sporting some dyed neon green hair, sporting a spiked ponytail atop her head, being held on with a spiked hairband. She was also sporting a black t-shirt with what appeared to be a red heart, with bat wings, demon horns, and even a demon tail stamped on the front, with the back of the shirt sporting the words "The Devil's Flight". The shirt's midsection had been torn off, exposing her bellybutton. Said bellybutton sported a piercing, with a skull charm on the top. She was also wearing a pair of pink and black striped pants with rips around the kneeline, a pair of pink and black boots, and was even wearing spiked wristbands. She even had on some black eyeliner, had two piercings in her ears, and even a nose stud. The young punk rocker was sporting a wide grin.

"E-C-H-O! Put those two letters together, and what does that spell? ECHO!" The new contestant cheered out.

"Gee, way to steal the spotlight, Echo..." Chris pouted back.

"Aww, don't be like that, McLean!" Echo responded back, lightly punching the host on the side. "With me on the show now, I swear, that this season shall… No. WILL be fun-tastic!"

She soon went over to the rest of the contestants, as a few of them looked at the punk-goth looking girl.

"Whoa, you're more goth than Haruto..." Bitty said out loud, as she looked at Haruto. "No offense, dearie."

"To be honest, I'm kinda a total newb at this… And I'm liking it so far." Haruto replied back.

Bitty looked back at Echo. "Still, gotta ask something. How pissed off was your mom when you came home with those piercings?"

Echo gave off a shrug."Eh, they were actually gifts. And she was really chill with it. Maybe you outta meet her someday?"

She soon gave off a grin.

"Oh, just wait until this greenette standing upon you's older..." Echo continued, as she sported a grin. "And then, Echo shall stand tall, with all sorts of metal upon her face, enough to set off every metal detector around for miles! You know, like that Pierce dude from that newspaper comic! And as for my arms… And back… And front… And legs… Well, you ever watch Bailey Sarian on YouTube?"

Bitty shook her head.

"Okay, maybe not the first choice..." Echo said, as she thought a little more. "...Hannah Shaw?"

She soon looked over at Quant, who was still feeling frightened at Piapot's presence.

"So, what's with the other blonde chick?" Echo asked out loud.

"Beats me, but her wardrobe could use an upgrade. I'm thinking hot pink pants..." Bitty answered back.

"No, not that; she seems frightened about something." Echo said out loud. "I should check it out."

She soon walked over to where Quant was, all while singing the word 'walking' to herself.

Quant, noticing Echo approach her, looked over at her. She soon read what was on the back of Echo's shirt.

"...The Devil's Flight?" Quant asked, as Echo nodded back. "You do know he is the worst… Evil in every which way, right?"

Echo looked at Quant, and only chuckled back.

"Eh, Echo always get that from any sorta pesky fundamentalist. You know, those holier than thou chicks sporting those 'I Wanna See The Manager' haircuts in boring beige colors, and they have quite a whiny voice… Perhaps naming that band 'The Devil's Flight' was a bad idea after all?" Echo answered back. "Your new gal pal right here should think of some other cool name."

"Hey! What's wrong with beige colored hair?" Bitty yelled back, as Quant and Echo looked at her, before the two looked back at each other.

Ignoring Bitty, Quant looked back at Echo.

"Gal pal? I dunno..." Quant asked, feeling unsure. "You seem to be a bit... Wild... Sorry."

"Isn't any rock star a little wild?" Echo shrugged back. "Don't worry; I won't get too wild and trash any hotel or do any drugs. I'm all straight edge!"

"Still… Your appearance..." Quant continued. "And why the spiked bracelets?"

"Hey, spikes are gonna come back into fashion, buddy!" Echo replied back. "By the year 20… Something, I bet kids that'll be our age then shall be sporting all sorts of spikes! Perhaps your new gal pal can hook you up with a pair?"

Quant shook her head. "...No thanks."

"Anyways, why were you scared of that walking battery commercial over there?" Echo asked.

Quant froze in fear, as she held up her hand. "I… rather not talk about it..."

"Ah… Dang." Echo replied back. "Anyways, you could loosen up a bit. Wanna sing a song? Know how to carry a tune?"

She soon pulled out a pink mic with a skull decoration near the top.

"Come on, buddy! Show off your inner voice!" Echo said, offering up her microphone.

"...I rather not..." Quant answered back, before giving off a silent 'sorry' back to Echo.

Echo could only look back at Quant in silence.

"Gee, she could be a tough nut to crack..." Echo whispered to herself.

"Who's our boy? It's Roy!" Chris announced out loud, as the next passenger departed… Or rather lept out of the bus on a skateboard. Landing, and preforming a few tricks, he stopped in front of the host. "I really gotta set some rules for next time..."

Roy had raven-black hair with blue highlights at the tips, and was wearing a backwards baseball cap atop his head as well. His clothes consisted of a light blue t-shirt with a donut design stamped on the front, ripped purple jeans, and a pair of light blue sandals. He even had on some plastic wristbands as well as a white bandage.

"What is up, my main man?" Roy said, grinning at the host.

"My mood, now that you're here!" Chris answered back. "Other than a few sad sacks over at your fellow contestants, you're pretty much gonna be a bright ball of sunshine."

"Hey, ain't no point in moping around." Roy said, shrugging. "Just gotta hope for the best, and prep for the worst, my dude."

Natz sighed. "I heard that line thousands of times..."

Roy soon started to skate towards the mat, when…

"Whoa!" Roy yelled out, starting to trip and nearly met the ground, when someone caught him mid-fall.

"You may wanna be careful; don't wanna injure yourself and be removed this early on." Indigo suggested.

"Eh, I've gotten more scrapes than I could ever count." Roy replied back. "Also, did you see that sick jump I made off the bus?"

"Um, isn't that reckless?" Indigo asked. "You really should watch it."

Natz glanced over at Roy.

"Indigo's right; you should watch it with your skating." Natz lectured. "You don't wanna be taken out before you even had a chance to take part on here."

"Eh, fine." Roy replied back. "I'll try not to be reckless with my skating… Much."

Echo, still standing near Quant, viewed the scene and poked on Quant's shoulder, all while uttering the words 'poke-poke-poke' out loud.

Quant only looked back at Echo.

"Think he's your type?" Echo asked. "You know, someone with a skateboard, doing all sorts of reckless activities… He probably tags walls and is rebelling against the system as well. I'm handy with a spray can; think ya gal pal shall give him an art lesson?"

"I highly doubt he's my type..." Quant grumbled back.

"Then who is your type?" Echo asked.

Quant stood silent. "I… rather not love..."

Echo only gave off a gentle smile. "Dude, there's someone out there for all of us! Or if you're my dad, that second someone. Trust me, they're looking for us, and once they do… Cupid's Arrow will hit dead-center, and Boom! Butt-Shot!"

Quant looked at Echo. "...Where did you pick that up from?"

"Eh, probably my step-mom's romance novel." Echo shrugged back.

"It's time to order up, cause Xylia is here to deliver!" Chris announced, as the next passenger departed from the bus.

Xylia was a female with dyed pink hair, with a green chef's hat atop it. It had what appeared to have a smile made out of flour on the front. Clothing-wise, she was wearing a white t-shirt with red sleeves, and a pair of yellow sweat pants. She even sported what appeared to be flour markings, shaped like hearts on both her cheeks, and even had a streak of flour on her nose as well. She had a bit of a belly as well. As for any footwear on her? There was none what-so-ever.

"Hiya!" Xylia greeted the host, as she pulled out a small bag of cookies, looking home-made. "Want some cookies?"

Chris grinned, as he took the small bag, opened it, and bit into one. He smiled at the young chef. "Wow… These are really excellent! Good job, Xy!" He said out loud. "And thanks for departing the bus like a normie. Not like the last two departees."

Roy and Echo only whistled innocently, as Xylia approached everyone with several bags of cookies and gave them each one.

"Aw, sweet; chocolate chip!" Coco grinned as she accepted her cookies. "You know what I love, girl!"

"Thanks! I totally made at least three each for every contestant here." Xylia replied back. "Soooooo, there's enough for everyone!"

Xylia soon stopped in front of Bitty, as she offered her some cookies. The fashionista gave off a smirk.

"You've got balls, coming here without any shoes on." Bitty stated. "And using flour for fashion."

Xylia blushed a bit. "Totally a looonnngg story on that. The flour, I mean."

She kept on offering cookies to everyone. Even Quant decided to accept some cookies, with some prodding from Echo. But when she got to Natz…

"Why are you so… Cheerful?" Natz asked the young cook.

"Why not? It's SOOOOOOO totally not worth it to have the sads all the time." Xylia answered back. "You just gotta totally sport a smile!"

"My smile is dead..." Natz said glumly. "Much like how my soul is."

Xylia shook her head. "Naaaaaahhh, it ain't dead; it's only napping a bit. Otherwise, you probably be munching on my right leg right about now. And last time I checked, this totally ain't The Walking Dead."

The cook soon produced a bag of cookies.

"But you may totally munch on these. Give your soul and your tummy a nice, home-cooked feeling!" Xylia offered. "And maybe… It'll help grow a smile on your face?"

"Fine, if it'll make you more happier..." Natz relented, as she grabbed up the bag, opened it, and started to chow down. She soon let out a slight smile to herself.

"Sooooooo… How is it?" Xylia asked.

"Well… It's rather good." Natz answered back.

Xylia looked at Natz, with a sweet smile on her face.

"You know, a smile SOOOOOO totally fits you more than a frown." Xylia stated.

"Everyone! Dusty Jr. has entered the HAUUUSSS!" Chris announced, as the next passenger departed from the bus.

"Oh, no..." Natz audibly grumbled.

Dusty Jr. had long blonde hair, with some long bangs covering half his face. It was enough for him to brush back. He was even wearing a black leather jacket over a blue tank-top, a pair of blue jeans, and even had on a pair of black sneakers.

"Charmed to be here, Chris. The name's actually Dustin, but please… Call me Dusty." Dusty requested. "The JR next to my name? It just… Irks me."

He then brushed his hair back with his hand, almost seemingly releasing sparkles in the air.

"It's Dustin!" Coco cooed out loud.

"He's so dreamy!" Piapot swooned.

"His movie roles are so wicked!" Echo said, sporting a grin.

With Quant, though, she looked confused.

"...Who?" Quant asked out loud. One could hear a record having scratched to a halt right there.

"My dude; don't tell me you're so under a rock you don't know who Dusty is?" Echo asked. "He's basically the current dreamboat for any tween girl around! Or tween guy, if they're, well, you know."

Echo soon sported a grin.

"Heeeeyyy, since you fit the criteria for a tween girl, maybe you should-" Echo started to say, as Quant shook her head.

"No thanks… What about you?" Quant responded back. "...Don't you fit the criteria, too?"

With Xylia, she grumbled.

"Erk, Dusty Jr..." Xylia muttered. "It's all the girls at school totally rave on about..."

She looked over at Natz, who was feeling red in the face.

"You okay, Natz?" Xylia asked.

"Ugh! Why is HE here?!" Natz protested back rather angerly.

"I dunno; I totally didn't select the auditions." Xylia answered back. "Blame the host with the most over there."

Pretty soon, Dusty was standing in front of Natz, sporting an innocent smile.

"Natalie, you're here too?" Dusty asked. "Why, it's such a small world!"

Natz looked back at Dusty. "The name's Natz. And how… No. WHY did you even get on this show?"

"A bunch of celebrities are getting on reality TV recently." Dusty replied back. "And you're one to talk; remember when we… Oh, I shan't say any more."

He soon wondered off as Jasper walked up to Natz.

"Um, you know that narcissist?" Jasper asked.

"Used to know him, unfortunately..." Natz grumbled back. "My mom was his personal trainer, dietary coach… That's about the gist of it."

"By personal trainer… Are we SOOOOOO talking Wii Fit Trainer?" Xylia asked.

"Well, probably not that porcelain white." Natz answered back, as she looked at the two. "Protip? Don't fall for his smooth moves; he's actually a grade A brat."

"Grrrreeeaaattt..." Xylia grumbled. "I bet his mom was totally a total Karen, huh?"

"Nah, she ain't that bad..." Natz answered back.

"I knew a Karen once… Who went on a warpath over ketchup." Jasper said out loud, shivering in fear. "Her behavior was not natural… She also managed to get banned from 4 separate stores, 3 Chick-Fil-As, 2 Green Gardens, and a Blockbuster Video… After it already shut down years ago."

Xylia whistled back. "Daaaaannnnngggg… How'd she totally pull THAT off?"

"The party has truly started now! Cause Kitt, your party hosting boy has arrived!" Chris announced, as the next passenger departed from the bus.

Kitt was sporting shaggy, bright dyed blue hair. He had on a t-shirt with a lightning bolt going down it, and a pair of blue track pants with a white stripe going up on both sides. Much like Coco, Ivan, and Xylia, he lacked any sort of footwear, though. He had on a pair of sunglasses on his shirt collar, and even had on lightning bolts painted onto his face. He was sporting a grin.

"Yo! Chris, my main party bro!" Kitt said out loud, giving the host a high five.

"Kitt! How's your party business going along?" Chris asked.

"Well, it's actually my older sister's, but being she's in Uni at the moment… I took over for now." Kitt answered back. "First gig I had? Fortnite themed. And I'm glad I got past that trainwreck, yo. You ever jumped out of the back of a floating bus in the strong sunlight?"

He stood there, doing some thinking.

"Maybe I outta put a disclaimer that I don't do Fortnite parties. It's kinda hard to do physical research on it if you're currently being capped in the a-"

"Alrighty, there's your cast. Why not break the TV-PG rating with them?" Chris interrupting, shoving Kitt towards them.

Everyone looked at the newcomer, as he sported a sweet smile.

"Before anyone asks, I uninstalled the game afterwards, and deleted all its contents. That, and that dance, yo..." Kitt said out loud. "Anyways, what's up with you guys?"

"I wanna ask… What kinda parties does your older sis totally host?" Xylia asked.

"Well, it all depends, really." Kitt replied back. "She can go all clown for a circus theme for the pre-schoolers. But if you're looking for something more mature, well… She can do that as well. Almost any theme, she can do! Considering you read the terms and fine print, my dudes."

"Ah, cool." said Xylia, nodding.

He soon noticed Echo, and walked towards her.

"And I bet you know how to party! Diggin' the hair!" complimented Kitt.

"Hehe… Thank you!" replied Echo, sporting a smile.

"And those piercings… Really awesome, my dudette!" continued Kitt.

"And your hair's really rockin' as well." Echo complimented back. "As thus your outfit."

"Hey, blue's an awesome color." Kitt stated warmly, brushing his hair with his hand.

Meanwhile, Quant was shivering as she looked away from Kitt.

"Nooooo..." Quant moaned. "Him, too?"

Kitt looked over at the scared Quant.

"What's with her?" Kitt asked.

"Even I don't know..." Echo answered back. "She was the same with Piapot… She must have a fear of electricity..."

"Ahh… Is it my shirt? My facial markings?" Kitt asked out loud. "...My neon blue hairstyle?"

"Probably electricity in general?" Echo responded back. "That's my guess."

"Entering stage left, we've got Alora!" Chris announced, as the next passenger departed from the bus.

They were a female, with mocha skin, and wearing a beige sun-hat with a pink music note on the front, atop her head. Her orange and brown hair went down to her shoulders. She was also wearing a light blue t-shirt with a flower stamped on the front, purple scrubs, and a pair of green sneakers. Underneath her arm appeared to be a portable keyboard.

"Sup, ya'll? I'm here to spread the awesomeness of music everywhere!" Alora announced out loud, sporting a sweet smile. "Background music can truly make a scene shine even more!"

She gave a high-five to the host, as she approached her fellow contestants.

Echo was the first one to notice the keyboard she was carrying around.

"Cool! Isn't that a Tunemaster Z-X?" Echo asked the musical contestant.

"You betchya it is, my punk friend!" answered Alora. "This sweet baby has any and all the tune genres it needs! Be it pop music..."

"Nice!" Indigo exclaimed, sporting a wide smile.

"J-Pop..."

Danielle only whistled in response, as Ivan only smiled at the mascot-wearing girl.

"This package can even shell out some bit-tunes for the more nerdy guys and gals out there." Alora finished.

"Totally cool!" Xylia exclaimed.

"I even heard that thing can even combine genres..." Echo said. "Be it a chiptune version of a hard-rock song, or anything to that regard. It's like a musician's dream instrument come to life!"

"Pretty wicked stuff, am I right?" Alora responded back. "You seem to be inquired in the world of music. Though given your general appearance, I would have to guess… Metal?"

"Hard Rock, actually." corrected Echo. "But people usually make that mistake from time to time anyways."

"I see." Alora nodded back. "What's your inspirations?"

"Ya know, some of the very best! Guns N Roses, Telsa, Joan Jett, Wendy O Williams, Hatebeak..." Echo listed off.

Quant raised an eyebrow. "What are those?"

Echo grinned towards Quant witn a grin. "Oh, stick with me and I'll get you well acquainted with those."

"Slithering up the path, it's Rattles-" Chris announced out loud, as a male was tossed off the bus

right on his butt, in front of the host and everyone. "Alright, Rattles, what did you even do?"

Rattles only gave off an innocent grin.

"If you hear any cursing or screaming, I kinda left a gift for the driver to cuddle up with, because I think snakes are best for everyone, and I think there's a 75% chance that the driver's gonna scream like a girl.

Rattles had amber-colored hair, with a green snake-like hat atop it. He also had on a purple t-shirt with what appeared to be a nose stamped on the front, red pants with a yellow stripe pattern going up the sides, and a pair of blue sneakers. He was even wearing a bandage on his nose, as thus a scarf covering his neck.

"Waaaiittt for it..." Rattles said, as some audible yelling was heard from inside the bus. Rattles had a huge bead of sweat dropping from his head, as everyone starred at him. "Yeeeeeaaaahhh, gonna join everyone on the mat now."

He approached the others, as Roy looked at him with a nervous expression.

"Er… Please tell me that snake wasn't poisonous..." Roy said, nervously. "Even I'm not that nutso."

Rattles shook his head.

"Eh, it's only an Eastern Ribbon Snake. Only harm it ever done was spook that bus driver, in which he screamed real loudly and probably disturbed the peace." Rattles replied back, innocently smiling.

"We're just lucky you didn't smuggle in an anaconda..." Natz muttered.

Rattles grinned at Natz's statement. "Awww, I want one, though. Then I can rub on it, and feed it leftovers because mom fixes a lot and it causes the fridge to emit a stinky odor after a week."

He then had a snake threw at him, to which he held in his arms.

"I guess I should had told everyone that this snake is actually fake. My parents won't allow me to have any actual snakes cause of the chance of it escaping and going next door and scaring the religious old lady into nearly meeting up with our Lord and Savior. That and it may also scare my own grandma with meeting up with him." Rattles rambled on.

"But aren't some snakes venomous?" Bitty asked.

"Only some of them." Rattles answered. "And pretty much all of them in Australia. Then again, everything tries to kill you in Australia, even trees, tornadoes, and Szechaun Sauce."

"Umm… Didn't that cause a bit of an ire a few years back?" Ivan asked.

"Why do you think I listed that down?" answered Rattles. "The Aussies can be toughies, I should know that from my grandma, who wrestled even the toughest of reptiles. Up until her twin sister who's a part of PETA told her not to do so anymore."

"Uhhh..." Ivan blinked a bit. "Aren't those guys kinda jerks?"

"Before we get catechized by PETA again, here's Burt!" Chris announced as the next passenger departed from the bus.

Burt was sporting brunet hair, and had a tanned complexion on his body. He was sporting a red t-shirt and blue pants. All in all, he looked basic, except for the fact that he wasn't wearing any sort of footwear.

"Greetings, all! TOAST! I am thrilled to be here!" Burt introduced out loud. "POOP!"

He soon walked over to his fellow contestants as everyone stared at him.

"Um… What's with the random words in your vocab?" Jasper asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I just enjoy adding random words in my sentences." Burt answered back. "CLOWN! FART!"

He soon approached Xylia, to which he stared down at her feet.

"You've got some really nifty feet. MEOW!" Burt complimented.

Xylia gave off a sweet smile. "Why, thank you! But your feet's totally better."

"And you've got a unique look about you. WAFFLES!" Burt continued. "The heart cheeks really compliment you. PANCAKES!"

Xylia gave off a chuckle. "Thanks; kinda got them after… Well, a total accident."

"Whoa… Like, a comic book backstory? BARF!" asked Burt.

"Well… Not exactly." Xylia answered back.

"And finally… We've got Silas!" Chris announced out now. But nobody stepped off the bus. "Um… Silas?"

He soon looked to the bus driver, whom after tossing out the plastic snake, drove off in a panic.

"What was that all about?" Chris asked himself, as his cell-phone rang. He answered it. "Hey, you're speaking to the most awesome host of all time, Chris McLean- What happened? Your parents are… I see. Well, take care of yourself, dude. Here's hoping your folks don't get accepted."

He soon ended the call, as the host looked at the campers.

"Guys? That was Silas just now. The little dude's unable to join us for now; turns out his folks?" Chris said out loud. "They decided to randomly join some kind of cult."

"Really? Are any froggy chairs involved?" asked Ivan.

Azura gave off a confusing look towards Ivan. "Umm… What?"

"Hey, why don't you try going through months without barely any info for a game you're looking forward to..." Ivan responded back.

"Now with most everyone introduced… It's time for the grand tour of the Production Lot!" Chris announced out loud, as he and the contestants soon entered within…

* * *

Now inside the Production Lot, Chris was giving the contestants the grand tour of the place.

"As you all already know, you're on the hottest TV show around, Total Drama!" Chris said, sporting a grin. "Featuring yours truly. And this time around, we've got a whole slew of challenges for you all to enjoy. Some of which may peak at your various interests."

"Chris, we barely know each other. MITTENS!" Burt blurtted out. "Other than the viking kid, we don't exactly know who everyone's interests are. PIE!"

"Um, I ain't a viking." Ivan spoke up. "Besides, didn't they die off years ago?"

"Or course, you should know my interest, everybody." Bitty said out loud, as she looked in her compact mirror, inspecting herself. After she was content with how she looked, she soon closed it. "Good, no smudges."

"These challenges shall test your wits, and your skills. You may either win big, or go home." Chris continued. "Almost like any game show, am I right, Wiley?"

"You betchya!" Wiley answered back.

Chris and the contestants soon stopped in front of what appeared to be an Amphitheater. He faced the contestants with a hint of warning.

"Now, this stage right here? It's where we host Voting Ceremonies. And this is one ceremony you do NOT wanna attend. Cause if your team loses, and if one of you scores the most votes... You're outta here!" Chris warned, before he sported a smile. "So no pressure. Just do fine with your team, and you won't be given the boot! ...Probably."

"Um, question!" Bitty spoke up. "We won't be seeing Chef in drag, will we? I can always-"

Chris simply shook his head. "Nah, couldn't afford him this season. We had to hire some new cooks this time around."

Bitty frowned. "So much for giving him some fashion advice..."

"Wait… Someone new?" Burt asked, as he looked at Xylia. "How's your skills in the kitchen? BOOGERS!"

"Well, I'm mostly a baker. Those cookies I totally gave you? Baked them myself! As for actual cooking? Well, I'm SOOOOOOO still totally learning." Xylia answered back with a sweet smile.

"You'll all know what I'm talking about in due time." Chris announced. "But due to this being a new season, and we should at least give the eventful first boot some more screentime… Nobody's going home tonight!"

The tweens cheered out loud.

"Now with that settled, let's move on..." Chris said, as he continued the tour.

The host continued to walk around, with the contestants following, as he stopped in front of a pair of trailers. They were colored pink and blue respectively.

"And these are the make-up trailers!" Chris announced. "If you wanna apply some on your precious face, then here you go. And if you just wanna decorate your face with designs, there it is. Both boys and girls have one to use!"

"Um, I don't buy any of this for a second." Bitty interrupted. "What kinda boy would wanna wear make-up? Something smells all sorts of fishy here..."

Chris sighed. "Okay, you got me. This ain't an actual make-up trailer… It's your Confessional for this season. There is a standard make-up trailer on the lot, for all of your make-over needs!"

"The same kind of make-overs in teenage comedies, set to some 80's tune?" Latif asked.

"Exactly, Latif. Now… Why don't a few of you give it a test run?" Chris suggested.

* * *

**Confessional: We are BACK! And now with more arm room!**

**Latif**: You don't think Bitty would have Piapot ditch her glasses in the case of a makeover? She kinda looks rather cute with them on. -He smiles as he looks up at the ceiling- Huh, 42 ceiling tiles on top… Wow.

**Coco**: Have I mentioned how much I just adore chocolate? Well… One can melt it in your mouth, and hopefully not your hand… You can bake with it, mix it with chocolate… -She drools- There's also chocolate cake, chocolate-covered shrimp, chocolate sandwiches… Hey, I found a way, don't 'cha ever deny it!

**Dusty**: These campers don't even know how defeated they'll be, once I take them ALL down. Dusty Jr… RE-PRE-SENT! -He brushes his hair back, releasing a few sparkles.-

**Echo**: This season is gonna ROCK, I can guarantee that! We've got a lotta awesome contestants, and one of them shall stand tall! I highly doubt that'll be me, but hey; I only got on the show for friends to be honest. Welcome to my jungle, buddies! I've got fun and games, too~!

**Jasper**: I… kinda got signed on by my sis. She's always been there for me, and I… Well, wanna win to prove that I am brave. I am brave… I am brave…

**Quant**: Okay… I can do this. I escaped from that borderline cultish hellhole… I can be my own person now. Though I do kick myself for leaving both Paul and Obadiah behind. Don't worry; your cousin Quant will save you two… However... That Piapot girl does freak me out…

* * *

Not too soon afterwards, the kids were directed to the front of what appeared to be a quaint looking, two story house.

"See this thing of beauty here?" Chris asked, sporting a grin. "If your eventful team comes in first, you get to spend the night in here; the House of Champions!"

A few of the contestants were observing the front of the house with a smile on their faces.

"Cool! You only see these kinda houses in those free 'Realtor booklets' and the like!" Latif said out loud.

"I use them as inspiration for backgrounds taking place in suburbs." Haruto also said.

"Eh, I just use their floorplan when I play The Sims between seasons of football." Heidi shrugged.

"And it's even packed with a porch swing, too!" Alora added, smiling. "There ain't noting like thinking up some sweet tunes all while sipping up lemonade and swinging softly."

"Just like old times..." Echo said softly.

"But why are we gawking at the exterior?" Chris asked. "The real action's… inside."

The kids soon entered, as Piapot raised an eyebrow.

"Why is it so easy to take that outta context?" Piapot asked herself, as she also entered the house.

Most everyone was standing in the living room, as a few decided to take a tour of the rest of the house.

Ivan looked at the host, and gave off a smile.

"Chris? I'm giving you a 39,469 on the HHA scale." Ivan scored towards Chris.

Bitty rolled her eyes at that comment. "Yeesh, get outside more..."

"Yo, check out this couch! It's big, awesome, comfy..." Echo said, sporting a grin as she removed her boots and kicked back. "Why, if I didn't know any better, you could have got it off loan from some cute clown!"

"And I betchya that clown totally grew up to tear the Umbrella Corporation a new one, let alone destroy it from the inside." Xylia winked and grinned back. "Hey, it's SOOOOOO true, look it up!"

Haruto warmly chuckled. "I've suddenly got an idea for a drawing later on..."

"Dudes, any couch can be comfy; look at this sweet flat screen!" Heidi exclaimed with excitement, eying a TV. There appeared to be several game consoles plugged into it. "Talk about a jumbo! Imagine the games one can watch on this bad boy."

"Um, guys?" Danielle asked.

"Games? Heck, just imagine the toonage we can watch on this." Echo replied back, interrupting Danielle.

"Like Loud House?" Kitt asked. "Man, watching that on the wide screen would be tight!"

"Right back at ya, Kitt!" Echo agreed, as the two shared a fist bump.

Xylia observed the consoles, and gave off a sweet smile.

"A Nintendo Switch… A PS4… An Octulus Rift… Total prime stuff, Chris!" Xylia exclaimed.

"We've also stashed a PS3 in the closet." Chris replied back. "I would have gotten an Xbox One… Well, most of their games were rated M, and were all click-click shoot people in the groin sort of thing. And with the helicopter parents running things now…"

"Hey, that thing kinda happened only one time…" Haruto pouted back. "Darknovel had to go to the bathroom, asked me to cover for him, and… Well, you know how awkward it is to state to someone who's tall, pierced, and inked to admit that you shot a virtual person in the nuts? And I'm more of an artist than I am a gamer."

"Guys?" Danielle asked again. "What about-"

"Screw all that junk; this air conditioner is prime stuff!" Coco chimed in, as she leaned towards one of the air vents blowing out cool air. "Awwww, yeah..."

"Also, each bedroom contains a private bathroom, so you can bathe in peace without worry." Chris said out loud.

Danielle sighed a breath of relief. "Thank you..." She whispered softly to herself. "Would have asked before, but…"

"Let me guess, secrets you wanna keep hidden?" Indigo asked.

Danielle nodded softly.

"I couldn't agree more." Indigo replied back.

"And I would mention the kitchen inside, but you've all seen a kitchen before, so you probably don't even care." Chris said, before he exited the house. "Now, let's move on."

* * *

**Confessional: If Danielle entered, would it be a kitten in the kitchen? Boom-Boom-Tssh!**

**Xylia**: I woulda totally cared about that kitchen… -She pouts-

**Indigo**: Private bedrooms? I really hope I win one of those… (She smiles.) You know, for reasons!

**Danielle**: If I can keep my secret safe… I gotta win that house. Or at the very least, be on the team who wins first place.

**Azura**: That house is efficient enough for my smarts. Now, to get on a team that isn't full of idiots.

**Roy**: That PS4 looks really promising.

**Rattles**: That house can spell trouble if a snake sneaks inside, and it scares someone outta their pants and causes them to have nightmares…

* * *

A few minutes later, Chris and a few of the kids were inside an RV of sorts.

"Kids, If your team comes in second place, you're stuck with the Middle of the Road trailer for that night. It may not be pretty, but it does come with your standard living supplies, but nothing too major."

Ivan looked at Chris. "I gotta give it a 4,200. I docked a few points due to a lack of a houseplant."

"Want me to find one?" Echo offered. "Gotta liven up this place somehow. Aren't pitcher plants common around this area?"

"Easy there, Herbette Cookie." Chris said, as he looked at a television, with a game console hooked to it. Next to it appeared to be a box of games. "As for the trailer itself, you got your standard stuff. CRT television, SNES… Though nothing will ever compare to the Sega Genesis."

"Nintendid what Genesidn't! POOP!" Burt exclaimed out loud. "But back then… Their rivalry was bitter before the 2000s. DRAGONFLY!"

"The rivalry did lead to my folks meeting when they were kids, then they grew up and did some rather beyond PG-13 related stuff resulting in the birth of my other sis." Latif said, giggling as everyone in the room looked at him. "Ummm… TMI?"

He soon kneeled down at the box of games, inspecting them.

"Super Mario World… Kirby Super Star… Super Metroid..." Latif read through the games.

Piapot looked through the games, too. "The Donkey Kong Country trilogy… Nice!"

"And much like actual RVs, you also have a bathroom as well. Though it's a lot smaller, and you gotta share." Chris said out loud. "And make sure to knock first."

"Aw, sweet! Harvest Moon!" Piapot grinned in delight.

"How about the losers? Where do they gotta bunk?" Bitty asked.

"That's quite the good question; follow me, everyone!" Chris answered out loud, as he gave a look at Latif and Piapot. "You too, you two gamer dudes."

The two soon got back up, as Piapot looked at Latif.

"Game night?" Piapot offered.

"You bet." Latif answered back, with the two sharing a fist bump.

* * *

**Confessional: A Home for the Second Best**

**Piapot**: Virtual farming? Sign me up! Although with only four save files… What if someone deleted my save file if we won or lost?

**Bitty**: Eh, whoever I have to live with for the next few weeks… -She smiles- I think I can do them justice. -She then does some thinking- ...You think a light pink works for Indigo?

**Latif**: Before anyone asks, I already know about the birds and bees from Vern-Vern. And I turned out okay!

**Danielle**: I wasn't inside the RV. But I did hear all about the games from Latif and Piapot. They look all sorts of rad as heck! Retro gaming FTW!

**Kitt**: I heard tales about those old games… Now? I get to live them out, yo! So… Game on! Time to see what the 90's dudes had to live through… Annnnnnnnd what may had founded the ESRB, which pissed off many a mother, many a PTA member, and some old geezer of a Senator.

* * *

Chris then directed the kids over to a cabin that's… Well, to better put it, better days. Some of them even entered inside the cabin as well. There were four futons on the floor, as thus some thin blankets and pillows. There were also some thin carpeting on the floors, which looked ripped and torn.

"And this sad sack right here, is the Losers Cabin. If you come in last place, you'll be sleeping in here, after voting off one of your own." Chris explained.

"In short, it's there to encourage us to try harder?" Coco asked out loud.

"Correct-a-mundo, Coco." Chris winked, as he looked at Ivan. "Since you've been scoring the houses so far… What are your thoughts, Ivan?"

Ivan simply shrugged. "I'm giving it a 1,325. At least you've got a place to lay your head down."

"Ivan?" Peki asked. "You've played the Animal Crossing series before. Think you would know of any ideas to fix up a place like this?"

"Well, being somewhat of an interior decorator myself... I think I can work something out." Ivan admitted. "But only if the need ever arises."

"What, you?" Bitty scoffed. "I would be very impressed if you did that..."

"So, how do we decide the teams?" Alora asked.

"Yeah! I wanna know which of my future pals I should align myself with!" Kitt added.

"Heh, I know who you would wanna align yourself with." Ivan said to Kitt, teasing a bit.

"We're about to get to that. But first off… Who's hungry for some lunch?" Chris replied back.

Everyone soon nodded.

"You bet we're hungry; we haven't ate anything since breakfast!" Coco answered back.

"What about all those chocolate bars, and Xylia's cookies, Coco?" Heidi asked.

"Dude, you can't just turn down free cookies and free chocolates." Coco answered back. "Unless you were some kinda health nut."

"Now, while I did say that Chef didn't return for this season, we did manage to score some people to cook for you lot." Chris stated.

"Oh, really?" Coco asked. "Who is it?"

"Well..." Chris responded back.

* * *

Inside the Mess Hall, a couple of teenage males were cooking up a storm.

The first male had mocha-colored skin, and shaggy black hair. He was wearing a light blue apron over an orange t-shirt, and was also wearing blue jeans as well. The apron had a number 6 stamped on it.

The second male had peach colored skin, and short, spiked red hair. He was also wearing an apron, only it was a dark purple, instead. It was being worn over a dark blue t-shirt. He was also wearing a pair of black pants as well. His apron had a 9 stamped on it.

The two were pouring soda on what appeared to be a stack of ribs, as Heidi raised an eyebrow.

"Dudes… You're pouring suds on that mad stack of ribs." Heidi said out loud. "What's the deal, there?"

The two males looked at Heidi, and grinned at her.

"What's the deal, our blue haired gal? This bodacious recipe shall kick you in the right direction!" The second male answered back, as he chopped at the air. "HO-HA!"

"Easy there, Gerald." The first male chuckled back, as he looked at Heidi some more. "You seem to frequent tailgate parties. And I betchya you tasted some really sweet ribs before, have ya?"

"Well, ya." Heidi answered back.

"Then, wanna be the first to taste our really rockin' ribs?" The first male continued.

"Yeah; me and Tommy cooked up a storm for you guys; think of all this as our welcoming party!" Gerald continued.

Heidi took a look at the two, and soon grinned back. "You got yourself a taste-tester!"

She took a rib or two from them, as Xylia was the next one in line.

"Totally hook me up with a rib; I wanna see how they SOOOOO compare with my folk's creations." Xylia requested.

"Dudette! You're a fellow cook as well?" Gerald asked the young Rookie Cook.

"Well, a baker actually." Xylia admitted, as she fiddled with her hat. "But my folks? Totally the best cooks I know!"

She tasted a part of her ribs, and gave off a sweet smile.

"Heh… If you totally need a job, totally hit up Gloria Springs; my folks would SOOOOOO love to have such talent like you two!" Xylia complimented towards the cooks. "This stuff's real-real good!"

Xylia left with her food, as both Gearld and Tommy grinned at each other.

"EXCELLENT!" Gerald and Tommy shouted together triumphantly.

* * *

With Xylia, she was about to chow down on her food, as Natz sat down in front of her.

"Why are you so happy and cheerful all the time?" Natz asked.

"Why not be… Well, not-happy?" Xylia responded back. "Is that even a term? Anyways, in today's world, where the sads are frequent, you SOOOO gotta stare it down, and just totally laugh back."

"...You wouldn't know the kinda hell I been through." Natz stated, as she silently started to eat her food, leaving Xylia silent.

Elsewhere, Echo was back at the counter with a grin, eager for seconds.

"More soda ribs, please!" Echo requested.

"Hehe… Someone likes those ribs, hm?" A new voice spoke out.

Echo looked in the kitchen to spot a male around her age.

They had spikey bleached blonde hair. And a pale skin tone. They were wearing a mask in front of their face, akin of a Shy-Guy, and was also wearing a purple t-shirt over a green sweater, red pants, and brown shoes.

Echo looked at the male. "Um… Are you sure you should be wearing full-on masks in the kitchen?"

"Aren't you the questionable type..." The male responded back. "I'm Fuller, a man of mystery..."

"Well, that explains the mask..." Echo said to Fuller.

"Yo, Fuller! How's the fries coming along, dude?" Gerald asked from the back.

Fuller looked towards the back. "They're coming along great..."

He soon looked back at Echo.

"See you around… Echo." Fuller said, as he made his leave, as Echo stood there.

"Um… Do I still get my ribs?" Echo asked.

* * *

**Confessional: Well… That happened.**

**Echo**: Is it me, or did mom see a scenario like that play out before? Only in film format? Whom wore a rather amateurish Shy-Guy mask like at the beginning? ...Did he fall to his death at the end? ...Should I keep one eye open at night? ...Is that even healthy?

* * *

Echo sat down next to Quant, as the blonde girl looked over at the green haired rock star.

"What was that all about?" Quant asked Echo.

"Beats me, dudette. Fuller only said he was a man of mystery..." Echo answered back. "Then again, does anyone who wears a mask be a man of mystery?"

"I bet you wear them when you're on-stage or at rock concerts?" Kitt asked, as he sat down in front of Echo.

Echo shook her head. "Naaaaaahhh; screws with depth perception. Besides, full on face paint's lots more fun! You know, white all over… With black eyeliner going down… Possible streaks across your cheeks… Or lightning bolts like yours? Stars near your eyes? Black hearts on your cheeks?"

"Dude, that's all sorts of awesome!" Kitt agreed.

Quant looked over at Kitt uneasily. "...But why electric bolts? Seeing that shape kinda… Well… Freaks me out."

"Ahh… sorry, Quant." Kitt apologized. "If I knew there was someone who didn't like the voltage shape, I wouldn't had painted it on my face with non-toxic permanent marker, my gal."

"It's alright, you didn't know..." Quant replied back. "Still… Who even goes out in public with some colorful design on their cheeks anyway?"

"Um… The Snowboard Kids from the N64 era… Clowns… Young football fans… Kids that just departed a face painting booth… Kitt… Xylia…" Echo listed off.

"Ooh, idea! Maybe we should get some designs on your cheeks, Quant?" Kitt offered. "I think a trio of streaks could really brighten up your face..."

"Umm..." Quant trailed off. "...What?"

"Yeah! That, and you turn many an eye with such a wicked design!" Echo agreed with Kitt. "Whatta say, huh?"

Quant sighed. "...That may never happen..."

"Awwww… Never say that, buddy. You just gotta dream big!" Echo responded back, sporting a grin. "Like, right now, I don't have a wicked wolf howling at the moon arted on my upper left arm right now. But one day? That'll change. For now? It's press ons and washable markers."

Kitt looked at Echo. "What does that have to do with face paint?"

"Hey, it first starts with face paint..." Echo answered back. "Then by the time you're in your early 20's, you're sporting all sorts of wicked skin art. Same thing happened with my step-mom."

* * *

**Confessional: Step By Step… Day By Day!**

**Echo**: That ain't all~! -She holds up what appeared to be a pad of paper, filled with all sorts of drawings.- I've got plans in store for when I turn 15 and older and I'm able to get some real ones done! There's-

**Gerald**: We had to, like, truncate Echo's confessional by a lot. It lasted, like, three solid minutes, dudes… All of which were tattoo talk... She's got some major guts to withstand all that pain in the future, for sure!

* * *

Danielle looked around, as she took out a portable blender, stuffed some fruit into it, and blended it into a liquidified base. She soon poured the liquid into a cup and began to sip through it with a straw.

"Huh, you must be more into your suit than once thought..." Ivan said towards Danielle.

"Well, it's a nice suit." Danielle replied back. "I can't spare the thought of being outside it..."

"Even still, it's all sewn up and stitched together." Bitty spoke up, walking towards the two. "But if you're into your suit that bad, then perhaps I can suggest on how to truly liven it up?"

Danielle shook her head. "I'm good, thanks."

"Perhaps a baseball cap could work wonders?" Bitty offered.

"I said… I'm good." Danielle confirmed back.

"Alright, alright! Yeesh!" Bitty responded back, backing away. "What crawled up your pants sleeve?"

Bitty left the duo, as Ivan let out a smile towards Danielle.

"Way to stand up to her, Dani." Ivan said to Danielle.

"Eh, I rather not go through a make-over, and… Wait, Dani?" Danielle asked, before she shook her head. "Nevermind. That would entail that I would have to depart from my suit, and ain't no chance in hell that's happening."

Ivan blinked. "Whoa… You said a mild swear. Never thought the first one of us to swear would be you of all people."

"I'm pretty sure someone else dropped a H bomb prior." Danielle shrugged, as she looked at Ivan. "And for the record..."

She soon got close to Ivan, as she whispered a few words to him. His eyes went wide.

"Wow… I am certain you can't say THAT on TV..." Ivan said, feeling surprised. "Or in New Horizons for that matter."

"Never underestimate peeps in mascot outfits." Danielle responded back. "Still, why hang with me of all people? A few people are real afraid of people in these mascot outfits, and yet you… Aren't. Why?"

"Well, animal costumes such as yours always interested me, even before I got into Animal Crossing. Heck, I even hugged the Nesquik mascot one time." Ivan answered. "And I could see that you were a bit scared stepping off the bus."

"Aren't we all?" Danielle stated.

"Well, or course; we're on a reality TV show. And it's probably our first time being on actual TV." Ivan answered back. "Unless you were Peki or Haruto or somehow your family got on Wife Swap."

"Is that so?" Coco asked, approaching the two, as she grinned and looked at everyone in the Mess Hall. "HEY, EVERYBODY! DID ANYONE'S FAMILY GET ON WIFE SWAP?"

No one dared raised their hands, as the Mess Hall fell into an awkward silence.

Azura nearly started to raise her hand, but put it back down, as she shook her head.

"Ahh, Coco…" Ivan groaned, putting his hands over his face.

"Hey, somebody probs had TV experience before. Even if their temporary mom was a total bag of yucky black licorice." Coco replied back, shrugging. "Probably."

"Yeesh, Coco..." Ivan muttered to himself.

"Unless you had my temp mom..." Azura muttered under her breath. "Hope she's doing alright..."

Soon enough, the intercom broke the silence as it came to life.

"Kids! Time for your first challenge!" Chris announced from the intercom. "Let's just say for your first challenge? You'll be visiting a certain… new world, so to say."

"About time; just sitting here was getting really boring." Azura stated back.

"With that said, meet me just a few blocks west from the Mess Hall at the Challenge Chamber. McLean out!" Chris said, as the intercom shut off.

"Hey, you heard the host; we can talk whose mom's traded places later on." Coco grinned towards Ivan and Danielle. "See you two lovebirds there!"

She soon sprinted off, leaving Ivan and Danielle, the two of them feeling embarrassed.

Echo jumped out of her seat with a grin. "Challenge time! And at a place called the Challenge Chamber? Wicked!"

She soon looked at Quant.

"Let's rock this thing, Quant! And later on, I can treat you to some Telsa?" Echo offered towards Quant.

Quant shrugged, as the two departed from the Mess Hall.

"I shall lead the way..." Dusty grinned, as he flashed his hair. "Follow me, ladies!"

Many of the females swooned at Dusty.

Alora grinned. "He's SO dreamy!"

"Whatta hunk!" Heidi also said out loud.

Both Xylia and Natz only looked at Dusty Jr in disgust, as they also exited the Mess Hall.

Bitty, as thus Indigo weren't affected at Dusty's charms at all.

"It's the hair flip… Oldest trick in the book." Bitty grumbled. "Let's go, Indigo. Let's teach these nerds what us girls can really do."

"Will do~!" Indigo sung out, as the two also departed from the Mess Hall.

Soon enough, only Ivan and Danielle remained in the Mess Hall.

"I… don't get him." Danielle said out loud.

"Yeah, me either." Ivan agreed, recovering from his embarrassing situation from earlier. "He dresses like he came from the wrong side of the tracks, and just one flip and most of the girls are head over heels over him."

"If I wanted someone hot… I would have been given Johnny Yong Bosch." Danielle stated.

Ivan blinked. "Er, isn't he in his 40's and already married?"

"Hey, a girl can dream, can they?" Danielle smirked from underneath her outfit's mask. "And besides… Christina Vee."

Ivan blushed at that remark.

"See? We both have crushes on V-Os, don't we, hmmm?" Danielle teased back, rubbing on Ivan's cheek.

* * *

**The Challenge Chamber**

* * *

A few minutes elapsed, as the 23 kids were standing in a gigantic room. The room itself looked dark and almost mechanical, save for some soft electric blue lights shining down. Right in the center appeared to be half-open spherical shapes, with a grid-like pattern upon the floor as well. There was also a gigantic flat-screen TV, with several wires attached to it, along with a grey sofa. And somewhere near the top appeared to be a window looking down at the room. There were also several servers in the room, along with a woman doing some last minute adjustments on everything. She was sitting in a chair, facing away from the contestants, but some of the light shined on her, revealing her black hair with hot pink streaks in it.

Currently, Piapot, Echo, and Xylia were all staring at it in pure awe.

"Okay, that right there? That's the purest essence of awesome." Piapot said, sporting a grin and her cheeks sparking a bit.

"Totally agree; imagine the raw toonage that TV can pump out!" Echo exclaimed looking at the television.

"I also agree; just totally imagine the gaming you can do with that." Xylia said in awe.

"Right on, Xy!" Echo said, as the two shared a high five.

Pretty soon, the lights soon turned bright, as the host approached the contestants, sporting his signature grin.

"Kids… Welcome to what will soon be your first challenge of Tween Throwdown, right here in the Challenge Chamber!" Chris announced. "This challenge shall be the one that determines the teams! But… Before that, does anyone recognize this game?"

Chris took out a pad, and pressed on it a few, as on the ginormous TV, a very familiar chime played out, and soon...

A familiar plumber appeared on screen, stepping onto a Koopa Troopa and stealing its shell.

Piapot instantly knew what was going on.

"Super Mario World!" Piapot exclaimed, grinning in excitement as she sparked a little. "Electric!"

"Whoa, Piapot! Careful where you aim those things, pal!" Alora exclaimed, jumping back a little.

"Yep! It was Nintendo's first forray into the 16-Bit world, and it shows!" Chris continued. "While Sega did that Nintendidn't, it still holds a piece in many a gamer's heart. And many a ROM hacker's heart, too. Ever played Kaizo Mario?"

"Korpse did, one time." Haruto replied back. "She soon uttered some curse words I haven't even heard of before. Wanna know how to say f-"

"Whoa, Haruto!" Chris interrupted. "This is a family show, dude!"

"Jeepers, demonetize all the episode reviewers, why don't ya? ZEBRA!" Burt blurted towards Haruto.

"Anyways, we would had you all go through Chemical Plant Zone, but that idea? Scrapped on the spot." Chris finished. "Who knew that a certain Intern played Sonic 2 before?"

The black and pink haired woman in the chair giggled. "You certainly want to traumatize these kids for life, don't ya? Anyways, guess that's my cue!"

The woman swiveled her chair around and soon stood up, revealing herself in full. She had dotted eyes, covered with a pair of large eyeglasses. She was also wearing a black tanktop with a skull on the front, pink plaid pants, and was completely barefoot. She even had on some spiked wristbands as well. She fiddled with her glasses as she looked at the contestants.

"And here's Sonia, one of our Mentors/Interns!" Chris announced, as Sonia waved back at the kids.

"Hey, guys! As he said, I'm Sonia! If you need any help with anything, or you just wanna chat, then just seek me out!" Sonia said out loud, as she gave off a sweet smile.

Haruto gave off a blush, as Coco gave off a cheeky grin towards him.

"Betchya she's your type." Coco teased at him.

Haruto's blush grew deeper. "What, no! I'm denying that right now!"

Sonia looked at a few of the contestants, and giggled.

"Well, looks like a few of us decided to depart with our shoes, huh?" Sonia said. "All I gotta say is… Awesome; I highly support us going all around, barefoot! It's healthier that way."

Xylia grinned in response.

"HA! Take THAT, Monica Mammon!" Xylia said triumphantly, pointing at a camera.

"I take it you two don't get along?" Coco asked.

Xylia sighed as she frowned. "She is totally the WORST! She SOOOOOO got the Gaming Club disbanded, all so she could have a club totally focused on herself and all that crap!"

"Yikes... How many members joined her club?" Ivan asked out loud.

"Only two... Her closest friends." Xylia answered back.

Bitty shook her head. "Sorry, but I'm NOT departing with my beloved Snavian boots."

"Anyways, you all shall be going through the first three levels, as thus the castle in Super Mario World.

Chris instructed. "And I know you're expecting me to toss in, like, 9 Bowsers. No worries, though. These are mostly in their original format. You just have to know how to transverse them via your own First Person perspective."

"Hey, can't have these levels be totally hard; there's Kaizo, and then there's SOOOOO bloody sadistic hard." Xylia stated. "Even I couldn't totally beat the Super Expert levels in Mario Maker, even with developer exits."

"Now… You see this thing of beaut behind me and Sonia?" Chris asked, as he directed the tweens to the futuristic device taking up the center of the room. "This is the Virtulpod 4000. It allows anyone to be transported to nearly any virtual world you can think of."

"Umm, quick question!" Jasper shouted, raising his hand. "What if you get horribly maimed in there, or spiked? Bowser's minions tend to be a bit… Pointy. And they didn't exactly… Play around back in the 90's, if you catch my drift."

"No worries on that front, buddy! Any injuries you sustain while in the virtual world won't carry over when you return to the real world. It'll just feel like a slight tickle." Sonia explained. "I would explain more, but I rather wait until everyone is inside."

"Now, enough chit-chat. Stand on the grids and await for further instructions!" Chris ordered.

The spherical pods soon lowered into the floor, as the kids did exactly as Chris said. They stood on the grids as the spheres started to engulf them from within.

Jasper, seeing what was happening around him, gulped in fear.

"You know, I changed my mind about this show! I wanna-" said Jasper in a panic, as the spherical pod was about to fully close him in, entrapping him.

They would soon be entering the virtual world…

* * *

**Confessional: Virtual… ON!**

**Jasper**: (He is in a total panic as he is holding a paper bag.)Crap! Crap! Crap! That pod was confiding me in an enclosed, dark place! I'm trapped! Like… What if there's a power cut?! Or even worse?! ...Why did you convince me into doing this, sis? What did I even do to deserve this? (He hyperventilates into his paper bag.)

**Chris**: No worries; in the event of a power cut, they're still able to supply oxygen to the campers. We do have a plan in place for any long term power cuts, though...

**Danielle**: I'm thankful those pods were able to fit my outfit…

**Heidi**: A video game challenge, huh? And based on Super Mario World? ...My dad did play the game when he was growing up, and he does dig out the console from time to time… So thanks to me, we may have an advantage, although slight. Anyways, time for this gal to score a touchdown, impress her teammates!

**Coco**: Time to employ what I like to call… -She tosses a dark chocolate Hershey's Kiss into the air, and catches it with her mouth, eating it. -Speed! Running! Tactics! -She speeds off, leaving behind a Coco shaped dust cloud-

* * *

Chris looked over at the camera, giving off his trademark grin towards it.

"And there you have it! Our challenge is about to be underway! But how will they fare in this new world? Find out… After the break." Chris announced.

"Wait, you going to commercial now?" Sonia asked. "How about Jasper? He was really freaking out when that pod was closing."

Chris' cheerful mood dropped. "Ooohh… Forgot about his fear of enclosed spaces..."

"That's why you should read up more on the contestants~!" Sonia teased back, before she gained a more serious expression. "Still… I hope he'll be alright."

* * *

And thus, the first challenge is underway! Do you like the changes I made? Anything you like? Anything you don't like?

**NEXT TIME**: Virtual Madness!


End file.
